Have you ever considered people to be an endangered species -- like the
snapping turtle? The elderly man whom I interviewed about his hobby of
rescuing turtles had once been "endangered" himself. As a young adult,
he became lured by his peers into a habit of drinking. Eventually,
alcoholism threatened to destroy his life. He got so desperate that he
cried out to God to rescue him. He saw God as his only hope -- thanks to
the early influence of his Christian mother and church background.
He shared with me, through tears, how God had mercifully rescued him
and had set him totally free from his addiction to alcohol. Ever since
then, he claims, God's love has never ceased to be new and fresh every
day. And that's why he is so full of exuberant joy. It's obvious that he
is a Christian who dearly loves the Lord.
This man has reasons to
be sad. He lives alone. Few people come by anymore. They are busy in
their own lives, he notes. But God is his companion, and that is why he
is content. He shared with me how he often finds himself on his knees,
crying out in praise and thanksgiving for God's goodness toward him. In
our conversation, he said, "Why does God keep on being so good to me? I
don't understand it! But I know he'll never forsake me now. Never!"
Frequently he goes downtown and visits the coffee shop. There, he
shares his joy in the Lord. People listen. They like him because they
see so much love in him.
He doesn't just help turtles; he helps
people, too. In spite of his meager income, he freely gives as he sees
the need. He said, "When I go to the bank, I see that God always keeps
my account balanced. I can't out-give God."
He can see God's
goodness on every turtle-rescuing mission -- even if he doesn't spot any
turtles. He saw a bluebird one day instead. That's a rare sighting
around here!
I got thinking: In my mission to find a story for
the paper, I myself had spotted a "bluebird." Discovering such a
beautiful believer is indeed a rare sighting.
This is the kind of
Christian that you and I do well to see -- to remind us what real faith
looks like. That man inspired me: I want to have faith and joy like him.
He told me that I had encouraged him by being interested in his
testimony. In other words, I had honoured him. So he even taught me more
about honouring one another. What a discovery he was!
Prayer:
Lord, bless us with the presence of those who reflect vibrant and mature
faith. May we be eager to honour them by listening to their faith
stories. In turn, may we find ourselves encouraged to persevere and grow
in faith. Amen.
Diane Eaton
Kincardine,
Ontario, Canada
Thanks to
PresbyCan Daily Devotional
